Hello All!
Things have been moving fairly quickly now and the end of my trip is fast approaching.
Plans to the road have once again changed. Due to unforeseen circumstances we had to cut Berlin out and head home early. This is not so bad as I have seen and done enough and it saves some money! ;)
This also means that I am coming home early!! So for the update...
But first I want to add something to the previous post. The photos of the grave look random, but that is the grave of Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the band The Doors... which was pretty cool!
Now for the update... The shooting... That was the best thing ever!! We finally got there after going throught the mountains and alone the smallest roads ever. We were then given the list of guns that we could choose from and it was like being a child in a candy store with too many things around you. I finally settled on a Glock handgun, a pump action shotgun and the all impressive AK!! We were then taken inside the range and started with the glock. The guy showed us how to load the bullets and the gun and how to fire the gun... the rest was up to us. I was up first and with the adrenaline pumping and excitment at its highest I stepped up, loaded the gun, aimed down range and slowly pulled the trigger. That fisrt shot was nothing like I ever expected! It was insane and so were the rest. Next up was the shotgun, which the guy said was their most powerful weapon... :O I even more nervously stepped up again and again he showed how to use the gun, this time showing how to brace for the recoil and kick of the gun lol!! I again loaded the gun, aimed down range, braced and slowly pulled the trigger.... What happened next is hard to describe and needs to be personally experienced as it was so insane but awesome!! Then came the AK... We shot this one lying down as the target was further away... The noise and power of that things was just as impressive and insane as the rest! It was definitely something I could have done all day lol!
The next day we left for home and had a stop over in the town of Leipzig, German for the night. The next morning we were up early and heading for home. Unfortunately an accident on the highway caused us to stand stil for 2 hours before being diverted. So after around 8 hours we were finally home though.
I then changed my ticket and booked a car to drive up to Geert. It was pretty wierd but cool to drive a car all by myself on the wrong side of the road!! I shall be staying here till Monday when I leave for home!! :)
So this will probably be the last post... I shall see you all when I am back!
Enjoy
Michael
Thursday 19 April 2012
Sunday 15 April 2012
The road trip... :)
Hello all!
So its been almost 2 weeks of the road trip already (I know, time flies!!) but what a time it has been!! I know you have all been waiting in anticipation for this, but before we start with that here is an update on the weekend before...
There was suppose to be a fishing trip the weekend before we were leaving, but unfortunately the weather was too bad. So instead we went to race go-karts!! :) And not these little things that were at Grand West or something, but 270cc karts!! Needless to say you could get a decent speed out of them.. We did 2 heats and out of the three of us (Geert, his brother and me) I was last lol! Mainly to the fast that they are mad and insane drivers!! ;)
But then it was time to leave and start the great road trip... So here we go!
We are now in our 4th country out of 5 and all is going well.
We started on Tuesday, getting up nice and early to leave for Brussels, Belgium. With the car packed, we left and 3 or so hours later we arrived. We found our hotel and got ready to go out and explore the city. We spend most of the day walking around and sight seeing before going to get something to eat. There was some really cool and big buildings with gold all over, the grand Palace and the garden, the atom (a metal structure in the shape of an atom!)and Manneken Pis... the most famous thing of Brussels. Its basically a statue of a boy peeing lol! Half way through we also went to a cafe in the square where we got some typical Belgium beer called Kwak (Google it) with the traditional glass and this was funny and interesting! After a few hours of walking around we then went back to the hotel to freshen up and went to a pub for a few drinks and a bit of soccer. After that it was off to bed.
The next day we were up early again and with breakfast done, we were soon ready to leave for our next destination... Paris!!!
That took us around 6 hours but finally we were there! The city we all dream of! We found our hotel after some traffic and unpacked and set out to go and explore the town. We took the train to the centre of town and started to walk around and see the sights of Paris. We only saw a small part of town, but that was enough to know that I was going to have a good time there! The area we saw was around the Louve Museum, the largest in the world, being 60 000 m²!! The entrance is in the shape of a triangle and completely made of glass! We also saw the garden, which runs after it and was just as cool!
The next day we decided to take the hop on - hop off bus as it is the best way to see everything and get around. With this we basically saw every major tourist attraction there is to see in Paris. From the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees to the Louve Museum and the garden, to the Opera and all the old buildings inbetween and ofcourse the Eiffel Tower!! We did not go up the Eiffel Tower as the weather was not that good and decided to wait till the next day. From the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysees runs straight all the way to the square and the Louve museum with the gardens, which is really cool to see because you can see ahead for like 2 km. After the bus tour we went to the Hard Rock cafe to see for myself how it is... It was really cool, with rock playing ofcourse and many faous musicians guitars on the wall, like slash!! It is just a bit pricey, but that didnt really matter! we then went back to the hotel.
The third day we set off early for the Eiffel Tower. The weather wasnt really that muc bettrer but I was not interested in the weather, I was going up no matter what!! So we got there and the line for the lift was insane!! (as there was only one lift working!) So we decided to take the stairs and climb the tower!! The stairs went till the second level and then you had to take an elevator to the top. Tom and Nicole only went till the first level, but I was going all the way! The climb was not as bad as you would think and once there the view was awesome! But after the elevator to the top the view got even better! It was really awesome to see and something that has to be done! It indeed was a dream come true!! After that I had a long journey just to get the ticket to go in the Louve Museum. Eventually I got it and went inside where there is just room after room and hall after hall of paintings and statues and artifacts. I got to see the Mona Lisa, which was really cool! After that I met up with Tom again and had something to eat. We then went on the night canal cruise that went along the Seine river and allowed us to see some of the building lit up at night, which was amazing!! The best one was the Eiffel Tower ofcourse, which was lit up, but then every so often became sparkily with flashing lights all over!! We then went back to the hotel and bed.
The next day was time to leave... :( But ahead was Austria and some more snow! We had about 850 m to go, which in the end took 11 hours, but we eventuallly got there! The hostel is in the mountains and a really cool place. It is like those proper wooden cabins that use wood to keep warm. After we unpacked and settled we just went to supper and went to bed.
Yesturday we went up the mountain to an toboggan course. We took the ski lift up the mountain and the course back down. It was really cool and there was LOTS of snow, but it was lekker cold lol, especially going down as I went fast and almost got frost bite on my hands lol!! After that we just relaxed in the hostel and went for supper.
The next morning it was up early as I went snowboarding for the first time!! It was really something! The view from the top of the mountain and all the snow and the whole experience was amazing!! I think I found a new sport I want to do! :) I started by taking the bus up the mountain to the resort and then had to figure out what to do. I eventually saw that I had to buy a pass and then pay for the lessons and finally rent the equipment. Once that was done it was further up the mountain with the ski lift. I had 4 hours of lessons, 2 hours in the morning then a break and 2 hours in the afternoon, and they were really intense!! It took a while but eventually I got the hang of it, but not without a few falls and bruises lol!! After that it was back to the hostel and some supper and bed.
Next morning it was up early as it was time to leave for Prague!! The journey took around 6 hours, but we got there!! Once there we again sorted everything out with the hostel and got settled. We then went walking to the centre of town to do a bit of exploring. Everybody says that Prague is such a pretty and nice city... but the first impression I got was that it was really bad... this was possibly due to the fact that we were staying outside the centre in the less attractive area. Once we got into the centre that changed though! There were lots of old pretty buildings with more old churches. There were many people and many tourist!! After walking around a bit we found a place to eat and then visited a few bars before heading for home.
The next day we slept in a bit... manly from the last nights events lol. After finally getting up and clean, we left once more to explore the city. We saw some more old buildings, the oldest bridge and the castle on the hill. We also did a bit of shopping... ;) We then went for some supper before hitting some bars again lol.
Morning came and the weather had turned for the worst! It was nice and wet, so we decided to get in the car and go to the bone church in the next city. This is a church that has been decorated with human bones in the 1700 or 1800 with people that were burried there.... pretty wierd if you ask me, but interesting none the less. We then went to the Cathedral next door, which was nice but not as impressive as the others I have seen! We then came home and went out for dinner and drinks again before going to bed.
The next moring it was up early and we were on our way to Krakow, Poland! After 6 or so hours we arrived and settled in the new hostel. We then got ready and went out to walk around the centre of te town and explore before finding a place to eat. It was off to bed after that.
The next day we went to Auschwits! For anyone that doesnt know, its one of the biggest and most well known concentration camps from the 2nd World War. More than 1 000 000 Jews were killed in gas chambers and through slave labour.
So we got there and then had to take the guided tour which goes through 2 of the camps, Auschwits 1 and Auschwits 2.
The tour guide took us through some of the buildings showing and explaning all of the things from how they were transported to the camps to the sorting process to the extermitation process. Also how the living conditions were and how everything operated. In one building there were also some of the belongings of the people, like clothes, shoes, suitcases, combs and photos. There were a lot of pictures recovered that were also on display, showing some of the people before they were taken to the gas chamber, the loading platform where the trains arrived and some of the people after the were freed. The second camp is way bigger than the first and had most of the prisoners and is where most of the people were killed. We were shown where they slept, what the toilet looked like, the prison and one gas chamber. Some buildings were also used by German doctors for experiments on some of the people, mainly woman and children. The big gas chambers in the second camp were destroyed by the Germans just before the Soviets invaded in an attempt to hide what they were doing. After everything, the main German soldier that was in charge of Auschwits was also caught and tired, found guilty and hung there as well. There are many memorials in and around the building, the biggest by the gas chambers, giving tribute and memory to the victims and there family. The guide also said that some of the people that survived the experiments and/or the camp would visit from time to time...
The whole tour took 3 and a half hours. It was really interesting and enlighting to see, but also sad and moving. Hard to believe people could have done that...
After that we went back to town and to the Jewish district to walk around a bit and have some supper.
Today Tom wanted to go to a indoor swimming pool, but I didnt bring pants as winter and a costume didnt go together with me lol. So they went and I gotr to finish this. Later we are going shooting! With pistols and shotguns! Then probably just dinner and bed.
Tomorrow we are off to Berlin, Germany! We are stopping over at family of Tom in Poland for a night before hitting Berlin. After that it is home...
So until the next time, which would probably be when we home, I hope you enjoy the photos and dont work too hard!! ;)
Pics...
http://www.maalbum.cz/Album=G4E4IK6I
Cheers
Michael
So its been almost 2 weeks of the road trip already (I know, time flies!!) but what a time it has been!! I know you have all been waiting in anticipation for this, but before we start with that here is an update on the weekend before...
There was suppose to be a fishing trip the weekend before we were leaving, but unfortunately the weather was too bad. So instead we went to race go-karts!! :) And not these little things that were at Grand West or something, but 270cc karts!! Needless to say you could get a decent speed out of them.. We did 2 heats and out of the three of us (Geert, his brother and me) I was last lol! Mainly to the fast that they are mad and insane drivers!! ;)
But then it was time to leave and start the great road trip... So here we go!
We are now in our 4th country out of 5 and all is going well.
We started on Tuesday, getting up nice and early to leave for Brussels, Belgium. With the car packed, we left and 3 or so hours later we arrived. We found our hotel and got ready to go out and explore the city. We spend most of the day walking around and sight seeing before going to get something to eat. There was some really cool and big buildings with gold all over, the grand Palace and the garden, the atom (a metal structure in the shape of an atom!)and Manneken Pis... the most famous thing of Brussels. Its basically a statue of a boy peeing lol! Half way through we also went to a cafe in the square where we got some typical Belgium beer called Kwak (Google it) with the traditional glass and this was funny and interesting! After a few hours of walking around we then went back to the hotel to freshen up and went to a pub for a few drinks and a bit of soccer. After that it was off to bed.
The next day we were up early again and with breakfast done, we were soon ready to leave for our next destination... Paris!!!
That took us around 6 hours but finally we were there! The city we all dream of! We found our hotel after some traffic and unpacked and set out to go and explore the town. We took the train to the centre of town and started to walk around and see the sights of Paris. We only saw a small part of town, but that was enough to know that I was going to have a good time there! The area we saw was around the Louve Museum, the largest in the world, being 60 000 m²!! The entrance is in the shape of a triangle and completely made of glass! We also saw the garden, which runs after it and was just as cool!
The next day we decided to take the hop on - hop off bus as it is the best way to see everything and get around. With this we basically saw every major tourist attraction there is to see in Paris. From the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees to the Louve Museum and the garden, to the Opera and all the old buildings inbetween and ofcourse the Eiffel Tower!! We did not go up the Eiffel Tower as the weather was not that good and decided to wait till the next day. From the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysees runs straight all the way to the square and the Louve museum with the gardens, which is really cool to see because you can see ahead for like 2 km. After the bus tour we went to the Hard Rock cafe to see for myself how it is... It was really cool, with rock playing ofcourse and many faous musicians guitars on the wall, like slash!! It is just a bit pricey, but that didnt really matter! we then went back to the hotel.
The third day we set off early for the Eiffel Tower. The weather wasnt really that muc bettrer but I was not interested in the weather, I was going up no matter what!! So we got there and the line for the lift was insane!! (as there was only one lift working!) So we decided to take the stairs and climb the tower!! The stairs went till the second level and then you had to take an elevator to the top. Tom and Nicole only went till the first level, but I was going all the way! The climb was not as bad as you would think and once there the view was awesome! But after the elevator to the top the view got even better! It was really awesome to see and something that has to be done! It indeed was a dream come true!! After that I had a long journey just to get the ticket to go in the Louve Museum. Eventually I got it and went inside where there is just room after room and hall after hall of paintings and statues and artifacts. I got to see the Mona Lisa, which was really cool! After that I met up with Tom again and had something to eat. We then went on the night canal cruise that went along the Seine river and allowed us to see some of the building lit up at night, which was amazing!! The best one was the Eiffel Tower ofcourse, which was lit up, but then every so often became sparkily with flashing lights all over!! We then went back to the hotel and bed.
The next day was time to leave... :( But ahead was Austria and some more snow! We had about 850 m to go, which in the end took 11 hours, but we eventuallly got there! The hostel is in the mountains and a really cool place. It is like those proper wooden cabins that use wood to keep warm. After we unpacked and settled we just went to supper and went to bed.
Yesturday we went up the mountain to an toboggan course. We took the ski lift up the mountain and the course back down. It was really cool and there was LOTS of snow, but it was lekker cold lol, especially going down as I went fast and almost got frost bite on my hands lol!! After that we just relaxed in the hostel and went for supper.
The next morning it was up early as I went snowboarding for the first time!! It was really something! The view from the top of the mountain and all the snow and the whole experience was amazing!! I think I found a new sport I want to do! :) I started by taking the bus up the mountain to the resort and then had to figure out what to do. I eventually saw that I had to buy a pass and then pay for the lessons and finally rent the equipment. Once that was done it was further up the mountain with the ski lift. I had 4 hours of lessons, 2 hours in the morning then a break and 2 hours in the afternoon, and they were really intense!! It took a while but eventually I got the hang of it, but not without a few falls and bruises lol!! After that it was back to the hostel and some supper and bed.
Next morning it was up early as it was time to leave for Prague!! The journey took around 6 hours, but we got there!! Once there we again sorted everything out with the hostel and got settled. We then went walking to the centre of town to do a bit of exploring. Everybody says that Prague is such a pretty and nice city... but the first impression I got was that it was really bad... this was possibly due to the fact that we were staying outside the centre in the less attractive area. Once we got into the centre that changed though! There were lots of old pretty buildings with more old churches. There were many people and many tourist!! After walking around a bit we found a place to eat and then visited a few bars before heading for home.
The next day we slept in a bit... manly from the last nights events lol. After finally getting up and clean, we left once more to explore the city. We saw some more old buildings, the oldest bridge and the castle on the hill. We also did a bit of shopping... ;) We then went for some supper before hitting some bars again lol.
Morning came and the weather had turned for the worst! It was nice and wet, so we decided to get in the car and go to the bone church in the next city. This is a church that has been decorated with human bones in the 1700 or 1800 with people that were burried there.... pretty wierd if you ask me, but interesting none the less. We then went to the Cathedral next door, which was nice but not as impressive as the others I have seen! We then came home and went out for dinner and drinks again before going to bed.
The next moring it was up early and we were on our way to Krakow, Poland! After 6 or so hours we arrived and settled in the new hostel. We then got ready and went out to walk around the centre of te town and explore before finding a place to eat. It was off to bed after that.
The next day we went to Auschwits! For anyone that doesnt know, its one of the biggest and most well known concentration camps from the 2nd World War. More than 1 000 000 Jews were killed in gas chambers and through slave labour.
So we got there and then had to take the guided tour which goes through 2 of the camps, Auschwits 1 and Auschwits 2.
The tour guide took us through some of the buildings showing and explaning all of the things from how they were transported to the camps to the sorting process to the extermitation process. Also how the living conditions were and how everything operated. In one building there were also some of the belongings of the people, like clothes, shoes, suitcases, combs and photos. There were a lot of pictures recovered that were also on display, showing some of the people before they were taken to the gas chamber, the loading platform where the trains arrived and some of the people after the were freed. The second camp is way bigger than the first and had most of the prisoners and is where most of the people were killed. We were shown where they slept, what the toilet looked like, the prison and one gas chamber. Some buildings were also used by German doctors for experiments on some of the people, mainly woman and children. The big gas chambers in the second camp were destroyed by the Germans just before the Soviets invaded in an attempt to hide what they were doing. After everything, the main German soldier that was in charge of Auschwits was also caught and tired, found guilty and hung there as well. There are many memorials in and around the building, the biggest by the gas chambers, giving tribute and memory to the victims and there family. The guide also said that some of the people that survived the experiments and/or the camp would visit from time to time...
The whole tour took 3 and a half hours. It was really interesting and enlighting to see, but also sad and moving. Hard to believe people could have done that...
After that we went back to town and to the Jewish district to walk around a bit and have some supper.
Today Tom wanted to go to a indoor swimming pool, but I didnt bring pants as winter and a costume didnt go together with me lol. So they went and I gotr to finish this. Later we are going shooting! With pistols and shotguns! Then probably just dinner and bed.
Tomorrow we are off to Berlin, Germany! We are stopping over at family of Tom in Poland for a night before hitting Berlin. After that it is home...
So until the next time, which would probably be when we home, I hope you enjoy the photos and dont work too hard!! ;)
Pics...
http://www.maalbum.cz/Album=G4E4IK6I
Cheers
Michael
Friday 23 March 2012
Hello Spain!
Howdy all
Hope all is well and you are still enjoying the nice warm weather!!
Here the weather is getting better and it is starting to heat up.
So this week was all about the city of Barcelona!! And what a city it is... For anyone that likes and enjoys history, architecture, culture and a warm sea, this is the place to be!! It is one of the prettiest cities around.
So on Monday I got up at 5:30am to leave with Geert to work to catch the train to Schipol at about 7 in Deventer. Was a nice cold moring with ice everywhere, but a nice way to see the sunrise. I was at Schipol at around 8:30 (nice and long train ride yes...) and the plane took off at 10. As this was a cheap airline, they charged you for checking in luggage, so I decided to take my bag as hand luggage forgetting about the liquid rule. (you only allowed bottles of 100ml or less) This meant half my toilet bag was subsequently thrown away... The flight was not bad though, just that I barely fit into the seat space as my knees were right against the chair in front of me. I finally landed 2 hours later in a sunny Bacelona where the fun began...
I got off the plane and headed for the exit, only I couldnt really find the correct one or the one I needed to take. Needless to say I walked around the airport like a headless chicken before eventually finding a train sign lol. I then finally found the train but had no idea if it was the correct one so just got on. Turns out it was the correct one and made it to my stop and on to the hostel. This was a modern 12 story building with a terrace on the 3rd floor, which was the common area and also had a gym and indoor swimming pool across the road. I checked in and went to my dorm room where I settled in and went to take a look around the place. I then decided to go walk around and see if I could go buy some of the things that got thrown away. I found a small shopping centre and bought some things before heading to Mc Donalds for some supper. I then headed back to the hostel and just hung around for a while before finally talking to a Portuguese guy that was also there alone. We just chatted for a while and had a beer before going to bed.
The next day I got up around 8am to clear and sunny skies. I showered before going down for breakfast and then got ready and left to the centre of town to take the hop on hop off tour bus. I spent the next 9 hours or so touring and exploring the whole city of Barcelona. It stared at the Plaza de Catalunya, the centre point of the city. From there it went on two routes around the city and you are allowed to get off at any stop and change routes whenever you want. It runs from 9am till 7pm and you can do it the whole day. So I saw every important and big tourist attractions of the city, from the gothic town and cathedral to the Segrada Familia to park Guell to the castle on the top of the mountain to the Agbar Tower with its 4500 LED lights that light up at night and ofcourse the FC Barcelona stadium! It was really amazing and awesome to see. There are a lot of old buildings and old style buildings that are really nice. They are quite a few architects that they mentioned on the tour that designed all of these famous or popular buildings. Also the sculptures and art pieces around the city. I think the city is well known for this. I also took a walk down the most famous street in Barcelona, the La Ramblas. Its 1km long and has almost everyting along it, from hotels to shops to restuarants to bars... you name it, its probably there. There were loads of people as well, especially tourists... a pick pockets dream lol, as the city is known to have that problem. For lunch I had subway :) and sat in the square for a while before setting off again. Once I was done, the weather had started to get a bit bad so I headed back to the hostel to get some food and warmer clothes. I decided to have some tapas for supper as they said it was a famous thing there. But what I got was not what I expected... instead of the stingy little portion back home, they brought small bowls full of food and when I asked for a beer I got a half litre mug!!! :P
After I stuffed myself, I went to the hostel and to my room, where an American guy had just arrived. I said hello and introduced myself, as did he. He then asked if I wanted to go watch the football in a bar with him and agreeded. So off we went to the train station to the one part of town and watched the game with a few more beers lol... it was really good. When we got back to the hostel, they were planning to go to the club and thought we would join, but nothing happend so we just took a taxi ourselves and went. It was a smallish club full of tourists, which meant nice and expensive!! We had a few beers before calling it a night and going home.
The next day the weather had not got better and seemed to want to rain. I went for breakfast and just as I started eating the rain came down, nice and hard... So I packed up and decided to hang around there for a while as I did not feel like running around in the rain. I then left for the airport and 8 hours of travelling later I was back in the town of Hardenberg, where I shall be till Monday.
So all in all I thought it was a really nice trip, even though it might have been a bit short, Im glad I didnt go longer as the rain would have made it crap.
Monday I leave to go back to Tom in Helden where I shall be till the Europe tour starts the following Tuesday! (Time is running out!) Next weekend though I am coming back here to join them for a nice fishing trip they are going on. :D
So I shall post again after I have caught the biggest fish of the day and hopefully won a prize for it!! ;)
Here are the much anticipated photos:
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=NTMAKKUC
Untill then stay safe and party hard!!
Cheers
Michael
Hope all is well and you are still enjoying the nice warm weather!!
Here the weather is getting better and it is starting to heat up.
So this week was all about the city of Barcelona!! And what a city it is... For anyone that likes and enjoys history, architecture, culture and a warm sea, this is the place to be!! It is one of the prettiest cities around.
So on Monday I got up at 5:30am to leave with Geert to work to catch the train to Schipol at about 7 in Deventer. Was a nice cold moring with ice everywhere, but a nice way to see the sunrise. I was at Schipol at around 8:30 (nice and long train ride yes...) and the plane took off at 10. As this was a cheap airline, they charged you for checking in luggage, so I decided to take my bag as hand luggage forgetting about the liquid rule. (you only allowed bottles of 100ml or less) This meant half my toilet bag was subsequently thrown away... The flight was not bad though, just that I barely fit into the seat space as my knees were right against the chair in front of me. I finally landed 2 hours later in a sunny Bacelona where the fun began...
I got off the plane and headed for the exit, only I couldnt really find the correct one or the one I needed to take. Needless to say I walked around the airport like a headless chicken before eventually finding a train sign lol. I then finally found the train but had no idea if it was the correct one so just got on. Turns out it was the correct one and made it to my stop and on to the hostel. This was a modern 12 story building with a terrace on the 3rd floor, which was the common area and also had a gym and indoor swimming pool across the road. I checked in and went to my dorm room where I settled in and went to take a look around the place. I then decided to go walk around and see if I could go buy some of the things that got thrown away. I found a small shopping centre and bought some things before heading to Mc Donalds for some supper. I then headed back to the hostel and just hung around for a while before finally talking to a Portuguese guy that was also there alone. We just chatted for a while and had a beer before going to bed.
The next day I got up around 8am to clear and sunny skies. I showered before going down for breakfast and then got ready and left to the centre of town to take the hop on hop off tour bus. I spent the next 9 hours or so touring and exploring the whole city of Barcelona. It stared at the Plaza de Catalunya, the centre point of the city. From there it went on two routes around the city and you are allowed to get off at any stop and change routes whenever you want. It runs from 9am till 7pm and you can do it the whole day. So I saw every important and big tourist attractions of the city, from the gothic town and cathedral to the Segrada Familia to park Guell to the castle on the top of the mountain to the Agbar Tower with its 4500 LED lights that light up at night and ofcourse the FC Barcelona stadium! It was really amazing and awesome to see. There are a lot of old buildings and old style buildings that are really nice. They are quite a few architects that they mentioned on the tour that designed all of these famous or popular buildings. Also the sculptures and art pieces around the city. I think the city is well known for this. I also took a walk down the most famous street in Barcelona, the La Ramblas. Its 1km long and has almost everyting along it, from hotels to shops to restuarants to bars... you name it, its probably there. There were loads of people as well, especially tourists... a pick pockets dream lol, as the city is known to have that problem. For lunch I had subway :) and sat in the square for a while before setting off again. Once I was done, the weather had started to get a bit bad so I headed back to the hostel to get some food and warmer clothes. I decided to have some tapas for supper as they said it was a famous thing there. But what I got was not what I expected... instead of the stingy little portion back home, they brought small bowls full of food and when I asked for a beer I got a half litre mug!!! :P
After I stuffed myself, I went to the hostel and to my room, where an American guy had just arrived. I said hello and introduced myself, as did he. He then asked if I wanted to go watch the football in a bar with him and agreeded. So off we went to the train station to the one part of town and watched the game with a few more beers lol... it was really good. When we got back to the hostel, they were planning to go to the club and thought we would join, but nothing happend so we just took a taxi ourselves and went. It was a smallish club full of tourists, which meant nice and expensive!! We had a few beers before calling it a night and going home.
The next day the weather had not got better and seemed to want to rain. I went for breakfast and just as I started eating the rain came down, nice and hard... So I packed up and decided to hang around there for a while as I did not feel like running around in the rain. I then left for the airport and 8 hours of travelling later I was back in the town of Hardenberg, where I shall be till Monday.
So all in all I thought it was a really nice trip, even though it might have been a bit short, Im glad I didnt go longer as the rain would have made it crap.
Monday I leave to go back to Tom in Helden where I shall be till the Europe tour starts the following Tuesday! (Time is running out!) Next weekend though I am coming back here to join them for a nice fishing trip they are going on. :D
So I shall post again after I have caught the biggest fish of the day and hopefully won a prize for it!! ;)
Here are the much anticipated photos:
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=NTMAKKUC
Untill then stay safe and party hard!!
Cheers
Michael
Thursday 15 March 2012
The tourist side of life
Hello all
Hope all is moving along nicely there! Here all is good and it is getting warmer!
Im sure you all eager to here about Amsterdam... but first I have to tell you about one other thing... the cinema! I went to go watch 2 movies with Geert. What makes it different and so funny is that not only can you buy your snacks before the show (beer is preferable) but you have a button on the small table infront of you that you can push and call someone to get you more!! :-O How insane is that??
Then on Friday we went to Amsterdam! All I can say is that it is nothing like any of the places I have been so far! Its one of the biggest cities here and is very very busy and oh so small!! It takes about 2 hours or so from where we are, by train ofcourse. So we got there and first decided what to do and see. We first walked to the Anne Frank house, but there was a long line so we decided to started with the Heineken Experience, which is a whole tour to see how it is made and where is comes from. It was really cool because it wasnt just a boring walk through tour with a guide, but an interactive experience with different areas and rooms. Also they had a movie about how its made from the inside, but we were standing on a machine that moved as it went and wet us, which was fun. After that we went to Maddam Tussaud, the Dutch version lol. That was really cool to see, you can see on the pics who all I found in there. We then went on a canal tour, because as you know the city is filled with canals that run throughout. ;) The was really nice as we saw a lot of the city and learned a lot about the city and all the old buildings. The modes of transport there are bus, tram, canal boat, ferry, metro and ofcourse the taxi.
When we were done with that it was basically dark, So we had something to eat and then headed to the part you were waiting for... the red light district! ;) We had to find it first lol. It looks like most of the roads in the city, but then it has neon lights all over and girls in the windows. There were also "coffee" shops all over and sex shops too. Its really something to see and is like nothing we know or could have imagined! After that we bought some beer and then went home.
This week I have been by Niek and Marc in Marienberg, just around the corner from Hardenberg. I am staying in my own little house in the forest. ;) It is Marc´s parents holiday house and is a very nice little place. On Tuesday we went to the Zoo in Emmen. It is quite a big one with different areas for each type of animal, with the big main ones in the middle. There were a lot of them, but most I have seen except for the Kangaroo! It was funny to see that between us and the lions there was some thick bulletproof glass! But there was a lot of different and cool animals. You can see them all on the pics. After the Zoo we went to Burger King (first time for me) and then went home. Today did a bit of cycling to explore the area as there are some really old houses here and is popular camping region. We also went to a tower in the forest that allows you to get a nice view of the area.
Tomorrow I am going back to Geert in Hardenberg till Monday when I leave for Barcelona. That should be a nice trip and seems like it will be good weather. Then when Im back it is party time again lol!
Here is the link for the photos:
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=LZDQYG6Q
So enjoy the weekend and I shall post again after Barcelona!
Enjoy
Michael
Hope all is moving along nicely there! Here all is good and it is getting warmer!
Im sure you all eager to here about Amsterdam... but first I have to tell you about one other thing... the cinema! I went to go watch 2 movies with Geert. What makes it different and so funny is that not only can you buy your snacks before the show (beer is preferable) but you have a button on the small table infront of you that you can push and call someone to get you more!! :-O How insane is that??
Then on Friday we went to Amsterdam! All I can say is that it is nothing like any of the places I have been so far! Its one of the biggest cities here and is very very busy and oh so small!! It takes about 2 hours or so from where we are, by train ofcourse. So we got there and first decided what to do and see. We first walked to the Anne Frank house, but there was a long line so we decided to started with the Heineken Experience, which is a whole tour to see how it is made and where is comes from. It was really cool because it wasnt just a boring walk through tour with a guide, but an interactive experience with different areas and rooms. Also they had a movie about how its made from the inside, but we were standing on a machine that moved as it went and wet us, which was fun. After that we went to Maddam Tussaud, the Dutch version lol. That was really cool to see, you can see on the pics who all I found in there. We then went on a canal tour, because as you know the city is filled with canals that run throughout. ;) The was really nice as we saw a lot of the city and learned a lot about the city and all the old buildings. The modes of transport there are bus, tram, canal boat, ferry, metro and ofcourse the taxi.
When we were done with that it was basically dark, So we had something to eat and then headed to the part you were waiting for... the red light district! ;) We had to find it first lol. It looks like most of the roads in the city, but then it has neon lights all over and girls in the windows. There were also "coffee" shops all over and sex shops too. Its really something to see and is like nothing we know or could have imagined! After that we bought some beer and then went home.
This week I have been by Niek and Marc in Marienberg, just around the corner from Hardenberg. I am staying in my own little house in the forest. ;) It is Marc´s parents holiday house and is a very nice little place. On Tuesday we went to the Zoo in Emmen. It is quite a big one with different areas for each type of animal, with the big main ones in the middle. There were a lot of them, but most I have seen except for the Kangaroo! It was funny to see that between us and the lions there was some thick bulletproof glass! But there was a lot of different and cool animals. You can see them all on the pics. After the Zoo we went to Burger King (first time for me) and then went home. Today did a bit of cycling to explore the area as there are some really old houses here and is popular camping region. We also went to a tower in the forest that allows you to get a nice view of the area.
Tomorrow I am going back to Geert in Hardenberg till Monday when I leave for Barcelona. That should be a nice trip and seems like it will be good weather. Then when Im back it is party time again lol!
Here is the link for the photos:
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=LZDQYG6Q
So enjoy the weekend and I shall post again after Barcelona!
Enjoy
Michael
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Settling in the Suburbs
Hello all
Hope everyone is good and still enjoying the good sunny weather there. Here it is also getting warmer, it has come out of the negatives and is on average 10 degrees.
The past 2 weeks have been busy. From Apeldoorn I went to Zwolle to visit the Awesome Durk lol!!
There it is also a smaller city. He lives in an apartment with a room mate and his girlfriend also just moved in. Went to walk around the town for a tour. We ended up going for dinner with friends at the Pizzaria and then some good old pool and beer lol. Thursday we just chilled and Friday it was time for another Boo concert. We took the train to Armhem, where the concert was being held, and met up with Tom and some friends. There was a band that was before them that has to be mentioned as it was the most random, strange and funniest thing ever. Here is a youtube video of them and you can decide for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Bz7VhC_w8
After that we went to a friends apartment and kept the party going. It went a bit late and the next day Durk only woke up at 4pm. We then left to go back to Zwolle and when we got to the train station they were doing scheduled maintainance on the track so we had to take a nice long detour... 2 hours later lol.
Sunday it was time to leave again and come to the smaller town of Hardenberg to Mr Geert! He lives in his family home with 2 of his brothers and 1 of his sisters. It is a really nice house, out in the more farm land area. Here we are really close to the German border. Here because of the Schengen agreement, it is really easy to go between those countries, there is no real border control. Today I drove for the second time to a market in one of the towns close by. We just walked around and looked but when I found a cheese stall I had to buy some cheese again lol. On the way back I crossed into Germany and took that way home lol. Its basically like you cross the bridge or pass a sign and you in the next counry... that easy!
Tomorrow we might go more into Germany to a town or two close to us. On Friday Geert is off so we will be going to Amsterdam!! :) Saturdat looks like Mr Niek, who I will be visiting next, is organising a party with all the Dutch guys and me, which will be nice and fun!!
For the rest still planning things and making plans for the tour.
So hope the rest of the week is good!!
Chat soon!
Michael
Hope everyone is good and still enjoying the good sunny weather there. Here it is also getting warmer, it has come out of the negatives and is on average 10 degrees.
The past 2 weeks have been busy. From Apeldoorn I went to Zwolle to visit the Awesome Durk lol!!
There it is also a smaller city. He lives in an apartment with a room mate and his girlfriend also just moved in. Went to walk around the town for a tour. We ended up going for dinner with friends at the Pizzaria and then some good old pool and beer lol. Thursday we just chilled and Friday it was time for another Boo concert. We took the train to Armhem, where the concert was being held, and met up with Tom and some friends. There was a band that was before them that has to be mentioned as it was the most random, strange and funniest thing ever. Here is a youtube video of them and you can decide for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Bz7VhC_w8
After that we went to a friends apartment and kept the party going. It went a bit late and the next day Durk only woke up at 4pm. We then left to go back to Zwolle and when we got to the train station they were doing scheduled maintainance on the track so we had to take a nice long detour... 2 hours later lol.
Sunday it was time to leave again and come to the smaller town of Hardenberg to Mr Geert! He lives in his family home with 2 of his brothers and 1 of his sisters. It is a really nice house, out in the more farm land area. Here we are really close to the German border. Here because of the Schengen agreement, it is really easy to go between those countries, there is no real border control. Today I drove for the second time to a market in one of the towns close by. We just walked around and looked but when I found a cheese stall I had to buy some cheese again lol. On the way back I crossed into Germany and took that way home lol. Its basically like you cross the bridge or pass a sign and you in the next counry... that easy!
Tomorrow we might go more into Germany to a town or two close to us. On Friday Geert is off so we will be going to Amsterdam!! :) Saturdat looks like Mr Niek, who I will be visiting next, is organising a party with all the Dutch guys and me, which will be nice and fun!!
For the rest still planning things and making plans for the tour.
So hope the rest of the week is good!!
Chat soon!
Michael
Thursday 23 February 2012
The Madness Begins
Howdy
Its been quite busy since the last time I posted and insanity has ensued.
Last week I went on my first big trip to a big city called Utrecht. I went to Eindhoven with Tom in the morning, as he works there. I then had to find out how their trains work and how to use my new travelling card. Once I finally got money on it and got it working I found the train and got on my way to Utrecht. The journey takes 50 minutes and is very comfortable and fast.
Once there I set off into the streets. Most of the inner city close to the train station are lined with shops and bars and snack shops, which is really cool. I then also went walking around the residential areas and found some cool places and land marks. The have the most amazing churches that are huge, each town has one in the centre (mostly). Also found a castle type tower that was aparently used to hold water and a nice big windmill. After about 3 hours of walking around I went back to the station, which is connected to a shopping centre. On the way back I found a square where they were selling different thing and found a nice big cheese stand that i couldnt resist. I bought a small piece of soft bree. I then went into the station and found a smll coffee shop and decided to go there. I had a coffee as it was a bit cold outside ;) and then looked for something to eat on the menu. As it is in Dutch and I was not sure of most things on it, I decided to have a pancake with banana in it. I was a really good pancake!! It had to be for that price lol... €8 Haha
I then took the train back to Einhoven where I continued to walk around and explore!! I again found a cool church and a funky looking building, but the weather was getting bad and it was drizzling so I went to rest in the Mc Donalds :P I had a burger and a limited edition Dutch milkshake, which was nice. Eventually it was time to go home and Tom fetched me from the station again. I had to rest the next few days as my feet and legs were nice and sore form all that walking lol!!
Then it was time for Carnival, which if celebrated fully lasts for 5 days!! It goes from Friday to Tuesday. Most businesses and shops are closed during this time as well as the schools. You already know that they dress up, but they also change outfit each day!! So after work on Friday, Tom came home with Durk and we had supper and got ready to hit the pub. I decided to go as a monk. They already had the outfit and I went to buy a wig and a moustache. It was lots of fun and crazy to see a whole town fully dressed up and partying in every place possible. They are also able to consume insane amounts of beer, making us look like children or newbies lol!! Saturday came and we went to get some grease food and around 4 started the process all over again. As I was not able to keep up with these crazy people I was ok... only with the once off nausea lol, unlike Tom for who it became a bit misty at the end of the night...
This followed 2 more days till Tuesday. It was insane but awesome to see all the different and funny outfits and with the crazy weird music come together to make this "Carnival". On Sunday we also went to watch the parade (which each town also has) of floats and all sorts of things, which was really cool to see. Some of them were really big! One good thing is that you get to eat a lot of junk food, which meant a lot of Frikendalen and Krokenten and French Fries for me!!! :)
Another thing of Carnival, which is tradition (And nobody knows much about) is the fact that each town also selects a Prince and/or Princess of Carnival. Their job is to keep the party going and to get everyone excited about it. They must also keep the house open so that anyone that wants to come visit is allowed to do so and during the evenings of Carnival he must make an appearance at like 5 or 6 places a night and dance and sing and stuff. He also has a procession of like 15 people that follow him around and act as his bodyguards. Then if thats not bad enough, he cant really drink that much because he has to be able to do all this every night... lol!!!
After all that I have survived... mostly!!;) But Tuesday it was time to leave Tom and come meet the crazy 2, Alma and Kevin!! 3 trains and 2h 30m later I made it to the city of Apeldoorn! They fetched me with Kevins parents car so we had to return it after dropping my things at the apartment, so my first bike ride in Apeldoorn was back to the apartment. Last night I went for supper at his parents. They wanted to have a Dutch braai but its a bit too cold lol! So instead we had a table grill, which was just as cool. You cook your own meat and whatever you want... lekker! For pudding was pancakes and stroopwafel flavoured ice cream!! :D Ate waaay too much, but atleast worked a bit off on the cycle back home... including the bit of rain lol ;)
Today just went shopping and going for some Zumba soon... at least gana try a bit as I have a bit of a tight chest... sigh!!
Next week or so Im going to Durk and a concert of Boo in the city of Arnhem, which should be good. Then to visit some more friends further north before returning to Tom!
Here is the link to the photos again!!
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=WFALSIZ7
Chat soon!
Enjoy
Michael
Its been quite busy since the last time I posted and insanity has ensued.
Last week I went on my first big trip to a big city called Utrecht. I went to Eindhoven with Tom in the morning, as he works there. I then had to find out how their trains work and how to use my new travelling card. Once I finally got money on it and got it working I found the train and got on my way to Utrecht. The journey takes 50 minutes and is very comfortable and fast.
Once there I set off into the streets. Most of the inner city close to the train station are lined with shops and bars and snack shops, which is really cool. I then also went walking around the residential areas and found some cool places and land marks. The have the most amazing churches that are huge, each town has one in the centre (mostly). Also found a castle type tower that was aparently used to hold water and a nice big windmill. After about 3 hours of walking around I went back to the station, which is connected to a shopping centre. On the way back I found a square where they were selling different thing and found a nice big cheese stand that i couldnt resist. I bought a small piece of soft bree. I then went into the station and found a smll coffee shop and decided to go there. I had a coffee as it was a bit cold outside ;) and then looked for something to eat on the menu. As it is in Dutch and I was not sure of most things on it, I decided to have a pancake with banana in it. I was a really good pancake!! It had to be for that price lol... €8 Haha
I then took the train back to Einhoven where I continued to walk around and explore!! I again found a cool church and a funky looking building, but the weather was getting bad and it was drizzling so I went to rest in the Mc Donalds :P I had a burger and a limited edition Dutch milkshake, which was nice. Eventually it was time to go home and Tom fetched me from the station again. I had to rest the next few days as my feet and legs were nice and sore form all that walking lol!!
Then it was time for Carnival, which if celebrated fully lasts for 5 days!! It goes from Friday to Tuesday. Most businesses and shops are closed during this time as well as the schools. You already know that they dress up, but they also change outfit each day!! So after work on Friday, Tom came home with Durk and we had supper and got ready to hit the pub. I decided to go as a monk. They already had the outfit and I went to buy a wig and a moustache. It was lots of fun and crazy to see a whole town fully dressed up and partying in every place possible. They are also able to consume insane amounts of beer, making us look like children or newbies lol!! Saturday came and we went to get some grease food and around 4 started the process all over again. As I was not able to keep up with these crazy people I was ok... only with the once off nausea lol, unlike Tom for who it became a bit misty at the end of the night...
This followed 2 more days till Tuesday. It was insane but awesome to see all the different and funny outfits and with the crazy weird music come together to make this "Carnival". On Sunday we also went to watch the parade (which each town also has) of floats and all sorts of things, which was really cool to see. Some of them were really big! One good thing is that you get to eat a lot of junk food, which meant a lot of Frikendalen and Krokenten and French Fries for me!!! :)
Another thing of Carnival, which is tradition (And nobody knows much about) is the fact that each town also selects a Prince and/or Princess of Carnival. Their job is to keep the party going and to get everyone excited about it. They must also keep the house open so that anyone that wants to come visit is allowed to do so and during the evenings of Carnival he must make an appearance at like 5 or 6 places a night and dance and sing and stuff. He also has a procession of like 15 people that follow him around and act as his bodyguards. Then if thats not bad enough, he cant really drink that much because he has to be able to do all this every night... lol!!!
After all that I have survived... mostly!!;) But Tuesday it was time to leave Tom and come meet the crazy 2, Alma and Kevin!! 3 trains and 2h 30m later I made it to the city of Apeldoorn! They fetched me with Kevins parents car so we had to return it after dropping my things at the apartment, so my first bike ride in Apeldoorn was back to the apartment. Last night I went for supper at his parents. They wanted to have a Dutch braai but its a bit too cold lol! So instead we had a table grill, which was just as cool. You cook your own meat and whatever you want... lekker! For pudding was pancakes and stroopwafel flavoured ice cream!! :D Ate waaay too much, but atleast worked a bit off on the cycle back home... including the bit of rain lol ;)
Today just went shopping and going for some Zumba soon... at least gana try a bit as I have a bit of a tight chest... sigh!!
Next week or so Im going to Durk and a concert of Boo in the city of Arnhem, which should be good. Then to visit some more friends further north before returning to Tom!
Here is the link to the photos again!!
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=WFALSIZ7
Chat soon!
Enjoy
Michael
Thursday 9 February 2012
The Eagle has landed...
Goedemiddag
I have arrived and am safely in the Orange land! The flight was ok just a bit uncomfortable but at least the food was good! It is the first week of things and all is going well! It is nice and cold here with an average temperature of about -5 degrees, so a coat and gloves are very much needed when going out the door lol. But thank goodness for central heating inside hey! :)
So far we have done a bit of travelling, exploring the south of Holland. We went to the place where Germany, Belgium and Holland meet, whic is on top of a hill. Then a nice small town and ran across a frozen lake! And the rest of the time just chilling.
Things here are very different and strange. I went to the shop and found out just how cheap things are and how tasty things are here lol! And to see bicycles ruling the roads is something to see, not to forget they are on the wrong side of the road lol! But one thing is for sure, we are definitely years away from them... like we are in the dark ages or something!
This weekend is family gatherings and my first club experience, which should be interesting seeing this is a "small town" yet the club holds 2500 people!
And the coming week is carnival, a region wide celebration that last 4 days and is basically a big drinking, eating and dancing festival!! Everyone dresses up in funny outfits and goes out and parties lol!!
But for now I will leave you with the link to some photos of the past few days!
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=47DGESGB
Talk soon
Enjoy
I have arrived and am safely in the Orange land! The flight was ok just a bit uncomfortable but at least the food was good! It is the first week of things and all is going well! It is nice and cold here with an average temperature of about -5 degrees, so a coat and gloves are very much needed when going out the door lol. But thank goodness for central heating inside hey! :)
So far we have done a bit of travelling, exploring the south of Holland. We went to the place where Germany, Belgium and Holland meet, whic is on top of a hill. Then a nice small town and ran across a frozen lake! And the rest of the time just chilling.
Things here are very different and strange. I went to the shop and found out just how cheap things are and how tasty things are here lol! And to see bicycles ruling the roads is something to see, not to forget they are on the wrong side of the road lol! But one thing is for sure, we are definitely years away from them... like we are in the dark ages or something!
This weekend is family gatherings and my first club experience, which should be interesting seeing this is a "small town" yet the club holds 2500 people!
And the coming week is carnival, a region wide celebration that last 4 days and is basically a big drinking, eating and dancing festival!! Everyone dresses up in funny outfits and goes out and parties lol!!
But for now I will leave you with the link to some photos of the past few days!
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=47DGESGB
Talk soon
Enjoy
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